Electrically assisted friction stir welding
An electrically assisted friction stir welding method and arrangement in which the required downward/pressing force typically exerted on a workpiece is substantially reduced. The method and apparatus involves the creation of a localized heated zone on a workpiece undergoing a welding operation. The localized heated zone is created using a resistive heating circuit running through the friction stir welding tool and the workpiece.
Latest The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Patents:
The following description was made in the performance of official duties by employees of the Department of the Navy, and, thus the claimed invention may be manufactured, used, licensed by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe following description relates generally to a method and apparatus for friction stir welding, and in particular, an electrically assisted friction stir welding arrangement for welding workpieces by establishing a localized heated zone on the workpieces.
BACKGROUNDWelding is the preferred method of metal joining for most applications where permanent structural configuration is intended. The traditional weld mechanism of melting and initiating the pooling of a portion of each metal has undergone many changes. Since its inception, friction stir welding (FSW) has improved weld efficiency and physical properties of the product joint, among other advantages. Friction stir welding utilizes a rotating tip of appropriate material, which is forced against the butting edges of the weld pieces. The rotating tool produces heat by friction on the workpiece softening the material and mixing it simultaneously. The process does not normally require filler metals and can often be successfully applied without an inert gas cover.
The friction stir welding technique, however, despite its simplicity, has encountered a number of challenges. The relatively high downward/vertical force on the tool required to produce the heating required to initiate the weld virtually necessitates a large machine which renders it impractical to have portable or handheld friction stir welding devices. Recently, there have been developments in friction stir welding technology which have decreased the downward force requirements. These developments are focused on the supplementary heating of workpieces by various methods such as inductance heating, resistance heating, and laser heating. However, the supplementary heating is not typically limited to the immediate region of welding, and may adversely affect a larger region of the workpiece. Consequently, there is a need for a supplemental heating arrangement that localizes the heat transmitted to the workpiece. It is also desired to have a friction stir welding arrangement that reduces the downward/vertical force requirement by as much as 90% to improve the process and to enable the use of handheld/portable tools. Other limitations of conventional friction stir welding include low weld speed and significant tool wear. Accordingly, it is desired to have a friction stir welding apparatus and method that increases the weld speed and reduces the wear on the tool.
SUMMARYIn one aspect, the invention is an electrically assisted friction stir welding apparatus for reducing required downward forces on a workpiece during friction stir welding. In this aspect, the apparatus includes a tool having a casing, a pin for contacting the workpiece, with the pin extending through the casing. The pin is mounted for axial rotation with respect to the tool. The apparatus also includes a motor for rotating the pin. In this aspect, the invention includes a resistive heating circuit for heating the pin and for creating a localized heated zone on the workpiece. The resistive heating circuit has a power source, a positive junction connected to the casing, and a negative return junction defining the localized heated zone.
In another aspect, the invention is an electrically assisted friction stir welding arrangement for reducing the required downward forces on a workpiece. The arrangement includes a workpiece and a vertically adjustable tool having a rotatable pin having a top portion and a bottom portion for contacting the workpiece. A workpiece table for supporting the workpiece below the pin is provided. In this aspect, the invention further includes a resistive heating circuit for heating the rotatable pin and for creating a localized heated zone on the workpiece. The resistive heating circuit includes a power source, a positive junction connected to the top portion of the pin, and a negative return junction defining the localized heated zone. The negative return junction has a first contact positioned on the workpiece, and a second contact positioned on the workpiece, wherein when the pin contacts the workpiece, the pin is substantially halfway between the first contact and the second contact.
In another aspect, the invention is an electrically assisted friction stir welding method for reducing vertical force requirements. The method includes the providing of a friction stir welding tool having a rotatable pin, and the providing of a workpiece. According to the method, a resistive heating circuit is also provided, the circuit having an independent power source attached to the rotatable pin of the friction stir welding tool at a first junction. In the circuit, the power source is attached to the workpiece at a second junction, wherein the second junction includes first and second contacts. The method further includes the creating of a localized heated zone on the workpiece by switching on the independent power supply and by moving the rotatable pin into contact with the workpiece. According to the method, the localized heated zone is substantially between the first and second contacts. The method further includes the rotating of the rotatable pin, and the advancing of the rotating pin across the surface of the workpiece to weld the workpiece.
Other features will be apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
The arrangement 100 further includes a resistive heating circuit 140, for providing supplemental heat by establishing a localized heated zone on the workpiece 120. The resistive heating circuit 140 includes the tool 101, the workpiece 120, and also a power source 145, which is an A.C. source, but may also be a D.C. source. As shown in
The resistive circuit 140 provides supplemental heating and as will be outlined below, creates a localized heated zone on the workpiece 120, which results in a substantially reduced downward (Fz-force) requirement during friction stir welding processes. In operation, after the power source 145 is turned on, the resistive heating circuit 140 is completed when the pin 110 is moved vertically down in direction Z and contacts the workpiece 120. A current of about 450 amps to about 650 amps may be used. However, some applications may require current values in the order of several thousand amps. The closed circuit is maintained as the pin 110 travels along the surface of the workpiece in a substantially horizontal direction X. Because of the arrangement in which the elongated contact strips 131 and 133 are set parallel to travel direction X, on either side of the pin, the return current follows the pin 110 as the pin travels between the strips 131 and 133. As outlined below, the elongated contact strips 131 and 133 are positioned to create the localized heated zone, thereby maximizing the supplemental heating of the workpiece 120
Referring to
As shown, the workpiece 120 is supported on the table 210, with an insulation strip 220 sandwiched between the workpiece 120 and the table 210. As outlined above, the workpiece may be a single metallic sheet, or may be two pieces of metal butted together.
The electrically assisted friction stir welding arrangements outlined above, which creates a localized heated zone on workpieces, significantly reduces the amount of downward pressing force (Fz-force) required during friction stir welding operations. In one particular embodiment for an arrangement 200 as shown in
The above outlined examples related generally to an aluminum workpiece. However, substantial Fz-force requirement reductions are also possible in examples involving workpieces of other materials, such as steel, bronze, copper/steel, or titanium. To obtain good results, parameters such as pin diameter, pin material, current strength, and rpm, for example may be adjusted. For example, steel workpieces require a more demanding welding environment. Thus, the pin may preferably be made from more robust materials such as cubic boron nitride, molybdenum, tungsten rhenium, or tantalum. Additionally, current values, rpm values, and pin dimensions may be manipulated to meet the requirements of the system.
The arrangement 400 further includes a resistive heating circuit 440, which is powered by a power source 445. The power source 445 is an A.C., source, but may also be a D.C. source. In the resistive heating circuit 440, the power source 445 is connected to the tool at junction 442 at the upper portion 411 of the pin, and also at the junction 444. The power source is connected to the workpiece 420 via a negative return junction at spring contacts 452 and 454. The contacts 452 and 454 are located on opposite sides of the lower pin portion 412, and each contact may be about 0.25 inches to about 1.0 inch away from the pin 410 at the point where the pin contacts the workpiece 420. As will be outlined below, as the tool 401 moves across the workpiece, the contacts 452 and 454 maintain sliding contact with the workpiece.
In operation, the electrically assisted friction stir welding arrangement 400 works in a similar manner to the arrangements outlined in
As shown in
Step 630 is providing of a resistive heating circuit. The resistive heating circuit includes an independent power source attached to the rotatable pin of the friction stir welding tool at a first junction. The power source is attached to the workpiece at a second junction, wherein the second junction includes first and second contacts. The first and second contacts may be fixed plates as shown in
Step 650 is the rotating of the rotatable pin, which is powered by motor associated with the tool. Step 660 is the advancing of the rotating pin across the surface of the workpiece to weld the workpiece. As outlined above, the workpiece may be a single metallic sheet, in which case the welding is performed to mechanically alter a surface of the workpiece. Alternatively, the workpiece may be a couple of metallic sheets butted together, in which case the welding may be performed to join the two sheets into a single structure.
What has been described and illustrated herein are preferred embodiments of the invention along with some variations. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is intended to be defined by the following claims and their equivalents, in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated.
Claims
1. An electrically assisted friction stir welding apparatus for reducing required downward forces on a workpiece during friction stir welding, the apparatus comprising:
- a tool comprising: a casing; a pin for contacting said workpiece, the pin extending through the casing, and mounted for axial rotation with respect to the tool; a motor for rotating the pin;
- a resistive heating circuit for heating the pin and for creating a localized heated zone on said workpiece, the resistive heating circuit comprising: a power source; a positive junction connected to the casing; and a negative return junction defining the localized heated zone, wherein the negative return junction comprises: a first electrical contact positioned on said workpiece; and a second electrical contact positioned on said workpiece, wherein when the pin contacts said workpiece, the pin is substantially halfway between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact, wherein in the negative return junction, the first electrical contact comprises a first elongated plate, the second electrical contact comprises a second elongated plate, the first elongated plate and the second elongated plate positioned on said workpiece.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a workpiece table for supporting said workpiece below the pin when the pin contacts the workpiece, wherein the workpiece table is mounted to be displaceable with respect to the pin in a working horizontal direction, and wherein, the first elongated pin and the second elongated plate are positioned on said workpiece in an orientation in which the first elongated plate and the second elongated plate are parallel to each other and parallel to said working horizontal direction.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:
- a first clamping device and a second clamping device for holding said workpiece and the first and second elongated plates on the workpiece table; and
- an insulating arrangement, the insulating arrangement comprising: a first insulation pad sandwiched between the first elongated plate and the first clamping device; a second insulation pad sandwiched between the second elongated plate and the second clamping device; and a third insulation pad sandwiched between the workpiece table and said workpiece.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pin comprises one of Molybdenum, steel, Cubic Boron Nitride, Tungsten Carbide, Titanium Carbide, or Silicon Carbide, and wherein each of the first elongated plate and the second elongated plate comprise copper, and wherein when the pin contacts said workpiece, the distance between the tip and each of the first and second contacts is about 0.25 inch to about 1.0 inch.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pin comprises a two-part tip comprising:
- a first part having a first diameter; and
- a second part for initially contacting said workpiece, the second part having a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is about 25% to about 75% of the first diameter.
6. An electrically assisted friction stir welding apparatus for reducing required downward forces on a workpiece during friction stir welding, the apparatus comprising:
- a tool comprising: a casing; a pin for contacting said workpiece, the pin extending through the casing, and mounted for axial rotation with respect to the tool; a motor for rotating the pin;
- a resistive heating circuit for heating the pin and for creating a localized heated zone on said workpiece, the resistive heating circuit comprising: a power source; a positive junction connected to the casing; and a negative return junction defining the localized heated zone, wherein the negative return junction comprises: a first electrical contact positioned on said workpiece; and a second electrical contact positioned on said workpiece, wherein when the pin contacts said workpiece, the pin is substantially halfway between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact, wherein the tool is portable and entirely movable by a user, and wherein the casing includes a lower shoulder, the apparatus further comprising a cylindrical spring attached to the lower shoulder of the casing, the cylindrical spring arrangement surrounding a bottom portion of the pin, the cylindrical spring further comprising a first slidable end and a second slidable end, wherein the first slidable end is the first contact of the negative return junction and the second slidable end is the second contact of the negative return junction.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pin comprises one of Molybdenum, steel, Cubic Boron Nitride, Tungsten Carbide, Titanium Carbide, or Silicon Carbide.
8. An electrically assisted friction stir welding apparatus for reducing required downward forces on a workpiece during friction stir welding, the apparatus comprising:
- a tool comprising: a casing; a pin for contacting said workpiece, the pin extending through the casing, and mounted for axial rotation with respect to the tool; a motor for rotating the pin;
- a resistive heating circuit for heating the pin and for creating a localized heated zone on said workpiece, the resistive heating circuit comprising: a power source; a positive junction connected to the casing; and a negative return junction defining the localized heated zone, wherein the negative return junction comprises: a first electrical contact positioned on said workpiece; and a second electrical contact positioned on said workpiece, wherein when the pin contacts said workpiece, the pin is substantially halfway between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact, wherein the casing includes an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder for clamping the tool to said workpiece, wherein said upper shoulder is positioned on an upper surface of said workpiece and the lower shoulder is positioned on a lower surface of said workpiece, and wherein the pin extends through the upper shoulder, the lower shoulder, and said workpiece, the electrically assisted friction stir welding apparatus further comprising an insulation surrounding the pin electrically insulating the pin from the remainder of the apparatus, so that the flow of current through the pin is isolated from the flow of current through the casing.
9. An electrically assisted friction stir welding arrangement for reducing the required downward forces on a workpiece, the arrangement comprising:
- a workpiece;
- a vertically adjustable tool having a rotatable pin having a top portion and a bottom portion for contacting the workpiece
- a workpiece table supporting the workpiece below the pin when the pin contacts the workpiece;
- a resistive heating circuit for heating the rotatable pin and for creating a localized heated zone on the workpiece, the resistive heating circuit comprising: a power source; a positive junction connected to the top portion of the pin; a negative return junction defining the localized heated zone, the negative return junction comprising; a first electrical contact comprising a first elongated plate positioned on the workpiece; and a second electrical contact comprising a second elongated plate positioned on the workpiece, wherein when the pin contacts the workpiece, the pin is substantially halfway between the first contact and the second contact.
10. The arrangement of claim 9, wherein the workpiece table is mounted to be displaceable with respect to the pin in a working horizontal direction, and the first elongated plate and the second elongated plate are positioned on the workpiece to form a channel within which the pin is displaceable in said working horizontal direction, wherein the channel substantially defines the localized heated zone.
11. The arrangement of claim 10, further comprising:
- a first clamping device and a second clamping device holding the workpiece and the first and second elongated plates on the workpiece table; and
- an insulating arrangement, the insulating arrangement comprising: a first insulation pad sandwiched between the first elongated plate and the first clamping device; a second insulation pad sandwiched between the second elongated plate and the second clamping device; and a third insulation pad sandwiched between the workpiece table and said workpiece.
12. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the pin comprises Molybdenum, and the workpiece comprises one of aluminum or steel, wherein each of the first elongated plate and the second elongated plate comprise copper, wherein the channel has a width of about 2 inches to about 0.5 inches.
13. The arrangement of claim 12, wherein the pin comprises a collar and a two-part tip, the two-part tip comprising:
- a first part having a first diameter; and
- a second part for initially contacting said workpiece, the second part having a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is about 25% to about 75% of the first diameter, wherein the collar has a diameter of the collar is larger than each of the first part and the second part.
14. An electrically assisted friction stir welding arrangement for reducing the required downward forces on a workpiece, the arrangement comprising:
- a workpiece;
- a vertically adjustable tool having a rotatable pin having a top portion and a bottom portion for contacting the workpiece
- a workpiece table supporting the workpiece below the pin when the pin contacts the workpiece;
- a resistive heating circuit for heating the rotatable pin and for creating a localized heated zone on the workpiece, the resistive heating circuit comprising: a power source; a positive junction connected to the top portion of the pin; a negative return junction defining the localized heated zone, the negative return junction comprising: a first electrical contact positioned on the workpiece; and a second electrical contact positioned on the workpiece, wherein when the pin contacts the workpiece, the pin is substantially halfway between the first contact and the second contact, wherein the tool is portable and entirely movable by a user, the tool further comprising a casing through which the top portion of the pin extends and wherein the casing includes a lower shoulder, the arrangement further comprising:
- a cylindrical spring attached to the lower shoulder of the casing, the cylindrical spring arrangement surrounding the bottom portion of the pin, the cylindrical spring further comprising a first slidable end and a second slidable end, wherein the first slidable end is the first electrical contact of the negative return junction and the second slidable end is the second electrical contact of the negative return junction.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the distance between the first slidable end and the second slidable end is about 1.0 in to about 2.0 in, and wherein the pin comprises Molybdenum, and the workpiece comprises one of aluminum or steel.
16. An electrically assisted friction stir welding method for reducing vertical force requirements, the method comprising:
- providing a friction stir welding tool having a rotatable pin;
- providing a workpiece;
- providing a resistive heating circuit having an independent power source attached to the rotatable pin of the friction stir welding tool at a first positive junction, and the power source attached to the workpiece at a second negative junction, wherein the second negative junction includes first and second electrical contacts on the workpiece;
- creating a localized heated zone on the workpiece by switching on the independent power supply and by moving the rotatable pin into contact with the workpiece, wherein the localized heated zone is substantially between the first and second electrical contacts;
- rotating the rotatable pin; and
- advancing the rotating pin across the surface of the workpiece to weld the workpiece.
17. The electrically assisted friction stir welding method of claim 16, wherein when the rotatable pin contacts the workpiece, the pin is substantially halfway between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.
18. The electrically assisted friction stir welding method of claim 17, wherein the first electrical contact comprises a first elongated plate, and the second electrical contact comprises a second elongated plate, the first elongated plate and the second elongated plate positioned adjacent to each other in a substantially parallel relationship on the workpiece to form a channel, and wherein in the advancing of the rotating pin across the surface of the workpiece, the pin is moved within the channel, in a manner so that regardless of the location of the pin on the workpiece, the pin is maintained at a distance substantially halfway between the first elongated plate and the second elongated plate.
19. The electrically assisted friction stir welding method of claim 17, wherein the friction stir welding tool is portable and entirely movable by a user, the tool further comprising a casing through which the rotatable pin extends and wherein the casing includes a lower shoulder, and a cylindrical spring attached to the lower shoulder of the casing, the cylindrical spring arrangement surrounding the bottom portion of the rotatable pin, the cylindrical spring further comprising a first slidable end and a second slidable end, wherein the first slidable end is the first electrical contact of the negative return junction and the second slidable end is the second electrical contact of the negative return junction, wherein in the advancing the rotating pin across the surface of the workpiece, each of the first slidable end and the second slidable end maintains contact with the workpiece.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 31, 2008
Date of Patent: Apr 24, 2012
Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy (Washington, DC)
Inventor: William A. Ferrando (Arlington, VA)
Primary Examiner: Henry Yuen
Assistant Examiner: Thien S Tran
Attorney: Dave A. Ghatt
Application Number: 12/082,190
International Classification: B23K 11/00 (20060101);